Mom of bicyclist killed in DUI accident sues driver

A Park Ridge man has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated drunken driving in the death of Robert "Bobby" Cann as he rode his bicycle in Old Town.

Meredith RodriguezTribune reporter

The mother of a bicyclist killed last spring while riding in the Old Town neighborhood filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the man charged in his death as well as the man’s employer.

Robert Cann, who went by Bobby, was riding his bicycle in the 1300 block of North Clybourn Avenue early on the evening of May 29 when he was struck by a southbound Mercedes-Benz, according to Chicago Police. Cann died shortly afterward at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Ryne San Hamel, 29, of Park Ridge, was subsequently charged with reckless homicide and aggravated drunken driving, along with other misdemeanor charges. San Hamel is free on $100,000 bond while his case is pending.

“There are lots of people out there who think that it is OK to drink and drive, and it isn’t,” said Maria Cann, the victim’s mother. “So maybe some other family will be spared this agony, if one person, even one person decides to take the cab or use an Uber app on their phone instead of getting behind a wheel of your car.”

The lawsuit, filed in Cook County circuit court, also lists San Hamel’s employer, AllYouCanDrink, LLC. as a defendant. On his now inactive LinkedIn page, San Hamel listed himself as a partner or co-founder of AllYouCanDrink.com, which according to its website, is an online directory that aggregates information on nightlife and entertainment.

San Hamel had a valid license at the time of the crash and did not have a significant record for traffic violations, officials said.

Cann, 26, moved to Chicago in 2009 and worked at Groupon Inc. since 2010, according to his mom. He was an avid bicyclist, according to friends, who said he participated regularly in the monthly Critical Mass bike ride, in which bicyclists gather at Daley Plaza and ride through the city in masse.

In October, cyclists erected a brown street sign—”Honorary Bobby Cann Way”—at the corner of Larrabee Street and Clybourn Avenue where he was killed.

“He loved to ride his bike. He loved to garden. He had a secret dream to be an organic gardner,” Maria Cann said. “He loved everything about living in Chicago, and he had an amazing group of friends that we’ve gotten to know since the tragedy happened.”